Indonesia Open: China dominated the quarter-finals

Jakarta: Badminton powerhouse China dominated the Indonesia Open quarter-finals on Friday, with four doubles and three singles pounding through to the semi-finals.

Women’s top seed Li Xuerui of China beat India’s Saina Nehwal in a tight first game but proved the faster and more dexterous in the second, ending the game at 22-20, 21-15.

Women’s second seed and former world number one Wang Shixian of China beat Thailand’s Busanan Ongbumrungpan 21-19, 21-19. She will play Ratchanok Intanon who is also from Thailand on Saturday.

China will be well represented in the doubles semis, with men’s pair Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan, and Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei for the women all winning against fellow Chinese pairs. Fu HaiFeng and Zhang Nan will play Lee Yong Dae-Yoo Yeon Seong of Korea in the semi-final, and Tian Qing-Zhao Yunlei will face Jung Kyung Eun-Kim Ha Na tomorrow.

Shinta and Yao crept close to victory in the third game when they jumped to match point at 18-20. But the Chinese pair won four consecutive points to seal their victory.

South Korea’s Jang Ye-Na and Kim So-young made a nail-biting comeback against Denmark’s Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl in the women’s doubles, losing the first game but bagging the second and third in close-shave tie-breakers.

Despite their early dominance, the Danes lost when Rytter smashed the shuttle wide at match point, ending 14-21, 22-20, 22-20.

“This is a big win for us because Denmark is very difficult to beat,” Jang said.

In men’s singles, Chen Long of China will face off against Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark in men’s singles semi-final on Saturday.